Great Wall of China/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim is sitting on his living room couch reading a book when a crumpled paper ball hits him in the head. TIM: What the? Tim tosses the paper ball back at Moby who is shielding himself with a pillow. The paper hits Moby's head. MOBY: Beep. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, What was the purpose of the Great Wall of China? From, Oren. The Great Wall of China was built mainly to defend against invaders from the north. An image shows the Great Wall of China stretching into the distance. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well sure, a person could climb the wall. But China was more worried about nomadic, or wandering, tribes who traveled on horseback. An animation shows a woman walking with two men on horseback. TIM: Reaching up to nine meters high, it would be almost impossible to get a horse across the wall. An image shows a man trying to get a horse to climb a ladder propped up against a wall. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, the wall was built in sections during different periods in Chinese history, starting in the third century BCE. Sections would be built independently, connecting the rest of the wall system as it grew. The original wall was nowhere near as long, high, or well-built as what we see today. An animation shows sections of the wall joining together to create the Great Wall. TIM: They just kept improving on it, and adding to it as the centuries went by. A map of China shows how the Great Wall spread from the middle of the country to the east. TIM: With all of its branches, the Great Wall today extends over 6,400 kilometers through all kids of terrain, including mountains and deserts. It's one of the most amazing constructions in human history. An image shows the Great Wall spreading over a mountainous terrain. TIM: Most of what we see today was built during the Ming dynasty, from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries. An image shows bricklayers constructing the Great Wall. TIM: That was the fifth and last major period of construction. These are the most sophisticated sections of the Great Wall, made mainly of bricks, limestone, and granite. But builders had to use whatever materials were nearby, so some parts of it were just made of dirt and wood. Side by side images show dirt and wood. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Yeah, for a long time it worked as a national defense. Watchtowers are built at regular intervals into the wall. An image shows tall watchtowers evenly spaced out along the wall. TIM: These allowed the armies manning the walls to spot invaders from a distance, and give them a place to retreat if they needed. An image shows a guard viewing invaders from a watchtower. TIM: Large gates, or passes, are built into the wall at areas of strategic importance. An animation shows a gate opening in the wall. TIM: And in the more sophisticated sections, the wall is wide enough for entire armies to walk along it. An animation shows an army walking along the wall. TIM: Inside the wall, complicated systems of stairways would confuse anyone who wasn't familiar with them. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, in the seventeenth century, China was invaded and taken over by a nomadic group called the Manchus. Once they had control, the need for the wall didn't really exist anymore. An image shows Manchurian soldiers in front of the wall. The wall disappears behind them. TIM: There was no one else to keep out. So the construction of the wall stopped. Moby carries a globe and places it on a pile of furniture and other household items to make a barricade in the living room. Tim knocks on the barricade. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Ah, hey. Hey, I need to get through. MOBY: Beep? TIM: I don't know the password. Come on, I have to go to the bathroom. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts